1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game machine having a function to inform a player of a prize mode determined by a random number lottery.
2. Related Art
There has conventionally been, for example, a slot machine as a game machine of this kind. In a general slot machine, as shown in FIG. 1A, three reels 3, 4 and 5 are installed in parallel on the rear side of a front panel 2. Various patterns are illustrated on the outer circumferences of the individual reels 3 to 5, and the patterns are illuminated by built-in light sources (back lights), not shown, installed at the individual reels and are observed via individual windows 6, 7 and 8 formed at the front panel 2. Five prize lines are described in the windows, and the slot machine game is carried out depending upon whether or not a combination of predetermined patterns is set on any of the prize lines.
The game is started when a player puts a coin into a slot and when the coin is put into the slot, as shown in FIG. 1A, all of the back lights are lighted. When a coin of the player has not been put thereinto by the player for a predetermined time period after finishing the game, or the like, all of the back lights are extinguished, as shown in FIG. 1B. The individual reels 3 to 5 are rotated in response to the operation of a start lever by the player, and the individual windows 6 to 8 are displayed with the patterns which move to rotate in the directions of columns thereof. When the individual reels 3 to 5 reach a constant speed, the operation of the individual stop buttons installed in correspondence with the individual reels 3 to 5 becomes effective.
The player operates the individual stop buttons while observing the moving patterns and stops the rotation of the individual reels 3 to 5 thereby to stop and display desired patterns on any of the prize lines. The individual reels 3 to 5 stop rotating in response to the operational timings of the individual stop buttons. When a predetermined combination of patterns is displayed on any of the prize lines at the time of stopping them, a prize in response the combination of patterns is obtained.
There are a big hit prize, a medium hit prize, a small hit prize and so on in prize modes, and the big hit prize or the medium hit prize is caused when three of patterns "7" or patterns of a predetermined character are set on the prize line. A special game of big bonus game (BB game) in the case of the big hit prize or regular bonus game (RB game) in the case of the medium hit prize is carried out, and a large amount of coins can be acquired. Further, the small hit prize is caused when a predetermined number of patterns of "cherry" or "bell" are aligned on the prize line, and several coins can be acquired in the small hit prize. FIG. 1C shows a case in which patterns "bell" are aligned on a central prize line, and in this case, the back lights are flashed.
Such prize modes are determined by a lottery of random numbers which is carried out immediately after operating the start lever and has already been determined before the individual reels are operated to stop by the player. The lottery of random numbers is executed by prize mode determining means constituted inside of the game machine. When the big hit prize is determined by the lottery of random numbers, a display such as a notification lamp installed at the front panel of the machine is lighted, and the player is informed of the fact that the big hit prize is caused by the inner lottery of the machine. After this, the rotation of the individual reels is controlled to stop in response to the operation of stopping the buttons by the player, and the prize can be actually experienced by the player when a combination of patterns of the prize determined by the lottery of random numbers is stopped and displayed on the prize line.
In the aforementioned game machine of the prior art, however, the player is informed of the fact that the prize of the big hit is caused by the lottery inside of the machine, but this is informed by simply lighting the notification lamp which is devoid of interest in game.
According to the aforementioned conventional game machine, furthermore, the player is informed of the fact that a situation of causing a big hit prize is brought about by the inner lottery by displaying a predetermined combination of patterns which is referred to as "reach spot" (i.e., a hit anticipating state in Mahjong Game) in stopping to rotate the individual reels. However, only a skilled player accustomed to the game can read that the combination of patterns in stopping the reels constitutes the "reach spot" which is one of methods of informing establishment of the big hit, and a beginner of the game is different finds it difficult to read the "reach spot" from the output display of the reels.
According to the aforementioned conventional game machine, furthermore, when a big hit prize is caused by the inner lottery, as mentioned above, the notification lamp is immediately lighted, and the player is informed of a result of the inner lottery. According to the conventional game machine, therefore, the player is mechanically informed of the result of the inner lottery, as it is, for causing the big hit prize and cannot enjoy the pleasure of searching the result of the inner lottery as in, for example, searching for the "reach spot".
Furthermore, what is informed is only the case in which the big hit prize is caused by the inner lottery, and the information to be conveyed to the player is limited. Therefore, the result of the inner lottery which has been determined by the lottery of random numbers inside of the machine is not known until the patterns are actually stopped and displayed at the individual windows with regard to the prize modes other than big hit prize. Accordingly, the player cannot previously grasp the result of the inner lottery, and therefore, what patterns are to be aligned on the prize line cannot be known to the player at all when the rotation of the reels is operated to stop initially.